Spring break on your mind? How about a budget Denver getaway to Mexico? Does golden-sand beaches stretching for 16 miles along the Mexican Pacific coast, culinary delights, rich culture, ecological tours, world-class sporting events, vibrancy of color and people, and strong U.S. dollar exchange, give you the itch to travel to Mazatlan, Mexico?
Frontier Airlines has sweetened the vacation dilemma by offering direct flights to Mazatlan, starting at $119 round trip Book by February 11, for travel through June 10, details here.
Short flights (under three hours), tropical weather and beaches create the perfect Denver budget-friendly getaway, and my renewed favorite Mexican flavor is Mazatlan. Travel & Leisure featured Mazatlan as one of the world’s top emerging places for travelers in its October 2008 issue.
This is the year of the deal, and Mazatlan is a destination ready to save you hundreds of pesos, especially with the best exchange rate in years.
Mazatlan is located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains. The city is divided into three main areas: Old Mazatlan; Zona Dorada or Golden Zone, and Nuevo Mazatlan (New Mazatlan) with a seven-mile coastal road between the two.
A few weeks ago, after a more than 10 year hiatus, I revisited the busy seaport city of Mazatlan, and the changes of the infrastructure, including new hotels and resorts, created an even more attractive, budget-friendly, vacation getaway for this Denverite.
I’ve done the legwork for you, so take a look at my Mazatlan, Mexico getaway vacation suggestions:
Where to stay for great deals:
From charming beachside cottages to luxury resorts with spas, Mazatlan boasts more than 90 hotels and condominium properties, including nearly 50 four- and five-star resorts, anticipating more than 10,000 hotel rooms available by year end.
- Choose one of three El Cid resorts: El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel; the adjoining El Cid El Moro Beach with amazing suites and incredible oceanfront views at the tallest and most elegant Mazatlan landmark, El Moro Tower); and El Cid Marina Beach.
- A luxurious Mexican escape awaits you at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, an all-suite luxury property overlooking the Pacific Ocean in an area called Nuevo Mazatlan, and honored with AAA Four-Diamond Award in 2009 and recognized among Mexico’s top 20 resorts.
- Also in Nuevo Mazatlan, RIU Hotels & Resorts is building its first hotel in Mazatlan. The 4.5 star, 716-room Hotel Riu Emerald Bay is located in on La Playa de Bruhas (near Pueblo Bonito), slated to open in May 2009. This one has my attention as an all-inclusive beachfront resort offering 716 rooms, five restaurants, five bars, two swimming pools and three conference rooms. Click here for more information on Riu Hotels and all-inclusive rates. TIP: Watch the Hotel Riu Emerald Bay website for grand opening specials in Mazatlan!
- Located in the Golden Zone (Zona Dorada) 15 minutes from historic center of town, check out the Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan or the historic Hotel Playa Mazatlan, which also offers an Edu-Ventura Kiosk, with a climbing wall and zip line.
- Okay, perhaps this is a bit touristy, but the City Tour (courtesy of Trolley Tours) is a great way to get familiar with the insides of Mazatlan. The tour includes stops at the city’s open market, visit to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the cliff diver point, shrimp flea market, city monuments and more of Mazatlan.
- The highlight of my 5-day visit was the welcome reception at Old Town Machado Square, where Mexican hospitality delighted us with a huge mariachi band and local Mexican dancers showcasing many colorful costumes, dances and celebrations — and tequila — all that make Mexico so appealing. An introduction to the royalty of the upcoming mammoth celebration of its city-wide pre-Lenten Carnival topped off the evening. You might not receive quite that hearty of a welcome, but the Old Town Machado Square is a definite not-miss stop, with plenty of shopping and restaurants!
- With its international sports fishing reputation, book your deep-sea fishing trip with Aries Fishing Fleet. A van picks you up and takes you the El Cid Marina Beach Hotel, and all you have to do is hook the big one.
- About an hour from Mazatlan, zip your way into excitement on the zipline at the Huana Coa Canopy Adventure, which includes the nearby Tequila Factory Tour, both conducted by Trolley Tours. Both are well worth the afternoon away from the beach, especially when the finale includes the taste of the 100% blue agave at Los Osuna, pioneers of tequila production in Mexico. This tequila is not available in the U.S. — yet, and I’ll be first in line when it does.
Where to find the Mazatlan deals:
- Hurry! Book by February 11 for Mazatlan roundtrip deals on Frontier Airlines. Or compare Frontier fares here.
- Travelzoo Deals
- Expedia Packages
- AmericanAirlines Package
Comments
Shouldn't your readers be warned of the dangers in 'failed state' Mexico. It really isn't safe. Every cop there seems to be on the take and tied into one drug cartel or another. Look at the very recent murder of the ex-general/cop in Cancun? The Cancun police chief is the prime suspect. Too many Americans use Mexico as a drug run. Who wants to go there? A grand bargain indeed.
Thanks for your comments, Boils. Readers should always be aware of dangers wherever they travel, and nothing is 100% safe, even sometimes in the U.S. However, I've been traveling to Mexico for more than 20 years (and many times alone), and I've never felt unsafe. Keep in mind that I always stay out of back alleys, stay on well-traveled paths, and practice common sense. Certainly bad things happen to good people who do all the right things, but that also happens in our own backyard (another unfortunate). Mexico is indeed a bargain and I've sent my adult children there for their honeymoon. I am also planning to take my grandchildren to Mexico this summer. That's my opinion, take it for what it's worth.
I live in Mazatlan and am wondering which 50 hotels you'd rate as 4 or 5 star hotels.
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